Conveyer



A. L. BAusMAN I coNvEYEn Filed July .10, 1940 Feb.t 2, 1943.`

.f5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1943 CONVEYER Alonzo Linton Bausman, Springfield, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Joseph Greenberg, Herman Greenberg, Samuel Greenberg, and Sidney Greenberg, a copartnership doing business as National Equipment Company, New

York, N. Y.'

Application July 10', 1940, Serial No. 344,727

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-159) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for use in connection with the manufacture of confections and the like and is directed more particularly to improvements in conveying apparatus adapted for use in combination with apparatus for performing various steps in the process of manufacturing confections and similar products.

In the manufacture of confections such as candy it is usual practice to cover or coat pieces of material with some such material as chocolate or the like and it is usually desired. thatthe confection be conditioned, tempered or cooled as by conveying the confections through a compartment or the like which contains or into which is directed air for the desired conditioning.

According to the novel features of this invention there is provided a conveying apparatus which is adapted for use in combination with apparatus for applying coatings or coverings to candies or the like that is constructed and arranged to receive the confection and to convey the same to or through a compartment or compartments for the desired conditioning or cooling operations and then to deliver the same to a unit such as a packing table or conveyer where the confections may be inspected, wrapped, or packaged all as may be desired.

The apparatus of the invention is adapted for various purposes but is particularly adapted for use in the confection manufacturing industry hence the reference herein to the manufacture of confections is to facilitate a clear understanding of the novel features of the invention and for the purposes of disclosure the term goods may mean confections or other products.

As a special feature of the invention, the apparatus is compact in its arrangement so that it is possible to obtain a relatively long travel of the goods in a minimum of occupied space wherefor the conveyer of the invention is characterized in one way by its compactness,

As another feature of the invention, the apparatus is adapted for continuous operation as distinguished from step by step or intermittent ported to the output sectionA from whence the goods are delivered to some form of apparatus for subsequent operations.

The novel features and advantages of the invention are accomplished in a broad way by providing in each of the beforementioned first and second sections, pairs of transversely spaced endless conveyer members, which may be chains or the like, each of which pairs consist of inner and outer members. Separate goods-supporting members are disposed between the pairs of endless members with their opposite ends carried by the outer and inner endless members of the pairs. The4 endless members are supported and directed in such a way that the goods-supporting members of the rst section are moved generally inwardly, lthen upwardly and then back and forth so that goods carried therebyare transferred from successive goods-supports onto goodssupports of the endless members of the second section which endless members are arranged to move-the said 'goods-supports -downwardly and otherwise to and through a discharging position where the goods may be discharged onto a belt orthe like of a packing apparatus for respective wrapping or packaging.

Asa still further feature the members carried by the flexible members for supporting the goods are relatively flexible, and shelf or supporting membersare provided over which the goods-supporting members travel from horizontal to vertical positions or vice versa. The shelf members or supports are arranged and adapted to position the goods-supporting members in such a way as to close the gap between a goods-support and an adjacent unit to facilitate tansference of goods onto or from the goods-supports. p

A still further feature of the invention provides a structure wherein the endless flexible conveyerforming members are supported in such a way that the goods-'supporting members thereof when supporting goods are disposed in horizontal positions at all times either when being moved upwardly or downwardly, horizontally, or when the direction of movement is changed from the vertical to horizontal or vice versa.

`With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain no-vel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claimshereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a conveyer apparatus of the invention shown in combination with apparatus for delivering goods to and receiving the same from said apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the various elements of the conveyer of the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan and side elevational views respectively showing certain features of the conveyer of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view showing one means for supporting and guiding the flexible members 0f the apparatus;

Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic perspective views of portions of the conveyer to explain certain features thereof;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevational view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the operating mechanism for one of the shelf members of the apparatus, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional elevational view at an enlarged scale to illustrate the supporting members for the goods supports.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention will now be described more fully.

In Fig. l there is indicated generally by 2 a conveyer which may have side walls such as 4 and bottom, upper and end walls associated therewith. The walls may be arranged to form an enclosure or compartment' within which the conveying apparatus is located and means for conditioning the atmosphere within the compartment may be provided such as for cooling or the like. That is, air conditioning as may be desired may be delivered into the compartment at one or.

more points.

In the form of the invention shown, the side walls serve generally to support the mechanism of the conveyer but in another way the conveyer structure may be supported by a frame work located within a room or compartment; The particular form of the frame work'or compartment may be varied within wide limits to suit requirements.

At 6 is represented a feed unit for feeding goods to a unit 8 which, in the form of the invention shown, applies coating material to the goods. The goods are received from the unit 8 onto an initial horizontal run of the conveyer and said goods are discharged from the conveyer to a unit IIJ where said goods may be inspected, packaged, or Wrapped.

Obviously other units than those shown may be used in association with the conveyer if desired. The conveyer apparatus includes in a general way first and second co-operating sections represented in Fig. 2 by I2 and I4.

Each conveyer section has pairs of endless conveyer members on opposite or at front and rear sides thereof and the said pairs of members each consist of outer and inner flexible members. In the embodiment of the invention being disclosed, the exible members are in the form of chains of suitable types, such as roller or block chains where links are hingedly connected to rollers or blocks.

Forward and rear pairs of chains in the rst section are indicated generally by I6 and I8 in Fig. 2 while forward and rear pairs of chains in the second section are indicated by '20 and 22. The chains of the pairs are disposed relatively close to one another as indicated in Fig. 3 where 24 indicates the outer chains and 26 the inner chains of the pairs of chains of the rst section. In the second section the chains are similarly disposed.

The endless chains of each section are supported by sprockets so that the chains extend in horizontal and vertical runs and some or any desired ones of the sprockets are driven for driving the chains, all as will hereinafter appear. In both sections there are disposed between the chains a plurality of supporting members such as 28 for supporting and conveying goods.

The supporting members are preferably exible and may be of fabric or the like. The forward and rear ends of the supporting members 28 are carried by the outer and inner chains.

To accomplish this the ends of the members may be formed to provide tubes in which are rods such as 32 and 34. The rods 32 are associated with links of chains such as 26 while rods 34 are carried by brackets 36 associated with the other chains 24.

The rods are so arranged in the links and brackets, or the rods are so mounted on the ends of the supporting members, that they may turn when the chains pass around sprockets. This is so the supporting members may maintain horizontal goods-supporting positions when the chains move horizontally, vertically, or move from vertical to horizontal positions, or vice versa` As stated previously, the chains are carried by sprockets which direct them in horizontal and vertical directions and control their course. There are sprockets for the inner and outer chains in each section of the conveyer.

The sprockets-are either rotatable on shafts carried by bearing brackets associated with the walls l or a frame Work or are fixed on shafts which are rotatable in the brackets. Typical sprockets 48, shafts lli', and brackets are indicated in Figs. 8 and 9.

The sprockets are so relatively 'disposed as to each section of the conveyer that the supporting members 28 are maintained in horizontal goods-supporting positions in the horizontal or vertical runs of the chains as well as when a vertical run extends into a vertical run or vice versa.

The runs provided by the arrangement ci the sprockets will now be described in detail.

In the first section there is an initial horizontal run of chains indicated by 5i) and vertical runs of chains indicated by 52. The vertical runs of chains have the sprockets for either the inner or outer chains of the pairs of chains disposed forwardly of the sprockets for the other chains of the pairs where the horizontally disposed chains pass around Sprockets and upwardly. The spacing of the chains of the pairs in the vertical run is such as to accommodate the length of the supporting members 28. This is so that the members 28 are carried forwardly into the vertical runs and as the chains move upwardly the supporting members are maintained in horizontal relation.

rlhe chains from the vertical run 52 extend to the left in a horizontal run 55 and at the left of said run the sprockets for the outer chains are spaced forwardly of or outwardly from the chains for the inner chains, so that the supporting members while maintained in horizontal relation are carried upwardly and around the horizontal run :'4 to a horizontal run 55. The members 28 are maintained in horizontal relation while the chains pass from the lower to the run thereabove.

At the right of the run t the sprockets for the inner chain are spaced outwardly from-those for the outer chains so that chains pass from run 56 into a horizontal run 58 extending to the left. Likewise at the end of run 53 the chains are positioned to provide run lill. In this manner, the chains are positioned to provide several, or as man'y horizontal runs as may be desired, until nally there is an upper horizontal run S2.

At the end of said run 62 the chains pass downwardly at B4, to the left at 65, downwardly at 5B, and horizontally at l0 into the initial run 5D. In this way, the supporting members are moved first horizontally, then vertically, and then horizontally from a lower run to a run thereabove, back and forth, until finally carried by the uppermost horizontal run to a point at the right indicated by T where goods thereon are transferred to the second section as will be later described.

At the point where the goods are transferred from the supporting members of the rst section to those of the second section the chains and carriers of the first section take a downward path and return to the point where the members receive goods from the unit 8.

The chains of the second section are supported by sprockets after the manner described so as to provide a horizontal run l, a vertical run 18, a horizontal run 841, a vertical run 82 and a horizontal run Bt. In this way the supporting members 28 while maintained in horizontal position receive goods from run 62 of the first section, move to the right horizontally, downwardly, to the left, downwardly again and then to the right for discharging the goods to unit Ill.

The chain between the sprockets, particularly in the horizontal runs, are supported and guided by some suitable means such as elongated guides 90', shown in section in Fig. 5. Any other means may be employed, it being desired to maintain the chains in such positions that they may be moved relatively freely and held in proper spaced relation and alignment.

The rods between the chains supporting the members 28 may guide the chains in their spaced relation but means may be associated' with the guides for spacing the chains if desired. The supporting guides may be secured to the walls or some supporting structure.

The relative arrangement of the chains in the second section as they extend from the lhorizontal run 'i6 to the vertical run 18 is shown in Fig. 6. The arrangement of the chains as they pass upwardly and around from the horizontal runs such as 5d; and 58 to runs thereabove at the left in the first section, is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be understood that, when the chains pass from a horizontal run to a vertical run,

or vice versa, and where it is desired to maintain the supporting members in horizontal positio-ns, the sprockets for the outer or inner chains of the pairs are spaced outwardly or forwardly of the sprockets for the other chains of the pairs. rIhis is so that opposite ends of the members 28 pass around sprockets simultaneously and are maintained horizontally in vertical runs.

At points where goods are transferred from one supporting member to another as at T and from unit 8 onto supporting members as atv T' or discharged from supporting members to unit I0 as at T", means is provided for supporting the moving supporting members and for closing the gaps to facilitate the transfer of goods.

Such means are provided at points indicated by S in Fig. 2. Said means include in each instance, as shown, in Figs. 8, 9 and l1, a shelf or support disposed between the pairs of chains that is mounted for movement between the supporting positions shown in Fig. 9, and non-supportingk positions downwardly and inwardly therefrom as shown in'Fig. 11. These members Si) move obliquely between supporting and nonsupporting positions and are in horizontal position at all times.

Various means may be provided to facilitate movement of the members 90 but in the form of the invention shown, rods 92 depend from the member 99 that are slidable in brackets 94 which are carried by walls 4. A shaft 96 one for each member 8|] is rotatable in the brackets 94 and has one or more levers 98 xed thereto which have a roll |00 on the free ends thereof that operates in slots of the member 90, as shown. The shaft 9E is oscillatable and as it oscillates in one direction or the other to swing lever or levers 93 up or down, the member 90 is moved between supporting and non-supporting positions.

As where the goods are transferred from a supporting member of the rst section I2 to a supporting member of the second section the members 90 are in supporting position while the supporting member of the first Section move horizontally and then vertically and downwardly while the supporting member of the second section moves vertically upwardly and then horizontally.

As the gap between the adjacent ends of adjacent supporting members of the sections approach the members 90 the said members are moved downwardly and inwardly to allow the ends of the supporting members to pass. The said members are moved by the levers S8 carried bythe oscillatable shafts 98.

rIhe said shafts 96 and their levers are operated in timed relation with the chains and supporting members by means of levers such as |06 xed to shafts 96 that have rolls |88 in suitable cam grooves I Ill of cams I I2. To drive said cams ||2 they may be geared to gears ||4 fixed on sprocket shafts such as l2 of an' adjacent sprocket as shown in Fig. 8.

Each of the supports 90 where located at S are operated between supporting and non-supporting position by means similarly to that described and they not only serve to support the supporting members as their direction of .movement extends from the horizontal to the vertical or vice versa but serve to close up the gaps between said supporting members and an adjacent goods, supporting element to or from which goods are transferred.

The sprockets of the conveyor sections may be driven by various means and as many of the sprockets may be driven as may be desired. According to the driving arrangement shown there is a main drive for the conveyor and the associated units.`

To accomplish this, a motor indicated at |23 is geared, as by gears |22 and |2,.to a shaft |26 that is suitably Ajournalled in bearings |28. A vertical shaft |30 journalled in bearings |32 is geared, as by gears |34, to gears |36 of certain of the sprocket shafts 420i the first section.

Another gear |38 of shaft |30 is in engagement with a gear |40 of a sprocket shaft 42 of the second section. By means of shaft |30 and the gears described sprockets of the rst and second section are driven in timed relation.

As before pointed out the shafts for the chain sprockets are disposed at opposite sides of the apparatus. The driving mechanism described is operatively connected to the sprockets at the forward side of the conveyor. For driving as many of the sprockets on the rear side of the apparatus as may be desired, such shafts as indicated by |45 and |48 may extend transversely through the apparatus.

The unit 6 referred to may take the form of a feed table or conveyer and includes an endless feed belt |59 that extends forwardly from and is driven by a drum or roll |52 that, in turn, is rotated by means of a worm |54 in engagement with a worm gear |56 thereof. The unit 8 is a coating machine having a belt |58 for conveying the objects to be coated and said belt receives the articles to be coated from the belt |50.

The unit I) includes an endless belt |60 extending from the conveyer to a driving drum which is driven by a worm |52 in engagement with a worm gear |63 thereof. The above referred to units are illustrated in a diagrammatic way only, as they are well known in the art and form no part of the present invention except as they combine with the apparatus to provide a continuously operating whole.

The shaft carries a gear |70 in mesh with a. gear H2 of the operating shaft of the coating machine 8, whereby the belt |58 thereof is driven in timed relation with the conveyer. A shaft HS connects by flexible couplings or universal points |86 the worm of the unit l0 to shaft |26, whereby said unit is driven in timed relation with the conveyer.

A shaft |84 has one end connected, as by a universal point |85, to the driving mechanism of unit E and its other end is connected in a similar manner by point |68 to a shaft |99 journalled in a bearing |92. A clutch member |94, slidable back and forth on shaft |26, is adapted to engage and disengage a clutch part |96 on shaft lil@ and a lever for actuating said clutch part |94 is operated by a cam |93 on said shaft |25.

Prefera-bly a spring |99 is provided to urge said lever into engagement with the cam, all as shown. The parts are so arranged that the belt |53 is operated intermittently or operated in such a manner as to provide a gap in the arrangement of goods delivered to belt |58 which agrees with the gap between the goods-supporting members of the conveyer apparatus.

In operation, goods are placed, or are received, on the belt Hi of unit 6 from which they are transferred onto belt |58 of unit 8 for the coating or other operation. From the belt |58 the goods are transferred onto the supporting members carried by the chains of the first section of the conveyer.

For the transference of the goods from belt |553 to a supporting member of the conveyer the support Si! et T is in supporting position. As adjacent ends of adjacent supporting members approach the support 9?, the said support withdraws and subsequently returns to underlie the succeeding support. As previously stated the belt |58 carries goods thereon in such an arrangement as accommodates the gap between the supports of the conveyer and is accomplished by intermittently operating belt |50 by means of cam-operated clutch members |94 and |96.

As goods are received on the supporting members of the initial run of the conveyer the supports are moved by the chains horizontally, then vertically or upwardly while maintained in horizontal position, then horizontally back and forth from a lower run to an upper run, eventually to an uppermost run, from whence they are transferred to supporting members of the second section. The transfer is, of course, effected by means of the supports 9|) at T which operate to support the supports and close the gap and to move from supporting position when adjacent ends of adjacent supports approach the supports.

In the second conveyer section the supporting members are moved horizontally, downwardly and vertically, then rearwardly horizontally and downwardly vertically and finally forwardly in horizontal position and discharge the goods onto belt where they may be inspected, packaged or wrapped as may be desired. The supporting member 9|! at position T" operate as do those at positions T and T.

The operation is such that the supporting members 28 are in continuous movement thereby to overcome the starting and stopping and reversal of movement of parts as in step by step or intermittent operation and obviate the wear, shocks, and strains incident thereto.

By means of the invention it is possible to obtain the maximum of travel of the goods in the minimum of space and thereby provide the desired efficient operation as pertains to conditioning, cooling or other operations as may be desired or required in connection with steps in the method or process of manufacturing confections and the like.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A conveyer of the class described comprising in combination, spaced pairs of outer and inner flexible members, separate flexible supporting members for supporting goods between the iexible members and spaced longitudinally thereof, one end of each supporting member connected at opposite sides to a certain pair of iiexible members and the opposite ends of said members connected at opposite sides to the other pair of flexible members, and rotatable members for supporting and driving said fiexible members to provide certain runs thereof and thereby position the supporting members in certain positions, said certain runs including an initial upper run extending into a first vertical run where the flexible members of the pairs thereof are horizontally spaced apart and therefrom to vertically spaced successive horizontal runs above the initial run succeeded by a second vertical run closely adjacent one end of the horizontal runs and where the flexible members of the pairs are closely adjacent thereto and then to a lower final horizontal run returning to the said initial run, said certain positions of the supporting members being horizontal in the initial, rst vertical, spaced horizontal and final lower runs of the iiexible members and vertical in the second vertical run thereof, and said exible supporting members being adapted to change between horizontal and vertical positions as the flexible members change between horizontal and the second vertical runs.

2. A conveyer of the class described comprising in combination, spaced pairs of outer and inner iiexible members, separate flexible supporting members for supporting goods between the flexible members spaced longitudinally thereof, one end of each supporting member connected at opposite sides to a certain pair of ilexible members and the opposite ends of said members connected at opposite sides to the other pair of flexible members, and rotatable members for supporting and driving said flexible members to provide certain runs thereof and thereby position the supporting members in certain positions, said certain runs including an initial horizontal upper run extending into a, first vertical run Where the flexible members of the pairs thereof are horizontally spaced apart and therefrom to vertically spaced successive horizontal runs above the initial run succeeded by a second vertical run closely adjacent one end of the horizontal runs and where the flexible members of the pairs are closely adjacent thereto and then to a lower final horizontal run returning to the said initial run, said certain positions of the supporting members being horizontal in the initial, vertical and spaced horizontal runs of the flexible members and shifting to vertical from the uppermost horizontal run into the second vertical run of the said fiexible members and horizontal in the lower run of said members, and supporting means at the junction of the uppermost of the vertically spaced horizontal runs and the second vertical run over which the exible supporting members pass to maintain the same horizontally to a point over where .they are vertically disposed.

3. A conveyer of the class described comprising in combination, spaced pairs of outer and inner iiexible members, separate flexible supporting members for supporting goods between the flexible members spaced longitudinally thereof, one end of each supporting member connected at opposite sides to a certain pair of iiexible members and the opposite ends of said members connected at opposite sides to the other pair of exible members, and rotatable members for supporting and driving said flexible members to provide certain runs thereof and thereby position the supporting members in certain positions, said certain runs including an initial horizontal upper run extending into a first vertical run where the flexible members of the pairs thereof are horizontally spaced apart and therefrom to vertically spaced successive horizontal runs disposed upwardly from and over the initial run succeeded by a second vertical run closely adjacent one end of the horizontal runs and where the flexible members of ,the pairs are closely adjacent thereto and then to a lower final horizontal run returning to the said initial run, said certain positions of the supporting members being horizontal in the initial, vertical and spaced horizontal runs of the iiexible members 'and shifting to vertical from the uppermost horizontal run into the second vertical run of the said flexible members and horizontal in the lower run of said members, and supporting means at the junction of the uppermost of the vertically spaced horizontal runs and the second vertical run over which the flexible supporting members pass to maintain the same horizontally to a point lover where they are vertically disposed.

4. A conveyer ofthe class described comprising in combination, spaced pairs of outer and inner iiexible members, separate flexible supporting members for supporting goods between the flexible members spaced longitudinally thereof, one end of each supporting member connected at opposite sides to a certain pair of flexible members and the opposite ends of said members connected at opposite sides `to the other pair of ilexible members, and rotatable members for supporting and driving said flexible members to provide certain runs thereof and thereby position the supporting members in certain positions, said certain runs including an initial horizontal upper run extending into a first vertical run where the flexible members of the pairs thereof are horizontally spaced apart and therefrom to vertically spaced successive horizontal runs disposed upwardly from and over the initial run succeeded by a second vertical run closely adjacent one end of the horizontal runs and where the flexible members of the pairs are closely adjacent thereto and then to a lower nal horizontal run returning to the said initial run, said certain positions of the supporting members being horizontal in the initial, vertical and spaced horizontal runs of the flexible members and shifting to vertical from .the uppermost horizontal run into the second vertical run of the said flexible members and horizontal in the lower run of said members, and supporting means at the junction of the uppermost of the vertically spaced horizontal runs and the second vertical run over which the fiexible supporting members pass to maintain the same horizontally to a point over where they are vertically disposed, said rst vertical run of the flexible members being disposed inwardly from said one end of the horizontal runs and therebelow.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN. 

